Boarding a boat from a swimming position in the water can be a difficult task at best. Existing metal or wooden ladders often extend only a short distance below the water surface and have poor support for the feet. Boarding in rough seas can be near impossible and very hazardous for a person overboard. He may be struck by the rigid moving ladder or thrown from it.
Rescue devices such as lifting slings are time consuming and difficult to use. They still subject the victim to injury through the movements of the boat and swinging of the lifting tackle in rough seas. Existing stern ladders can be very difficult to unlatch from the water and can strike the victim in a self rescue operation.
Additionally, existing ladders are bulky and can present a storage problem. Generally, they cannot be mounted ready for use when the boat is underway. They must be retrieved from the storage area and mounted when a rescue is required. This expends valuable time and effort.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,166 describes an inflatable boarding ladder and paddle combination for boats. It illustrates shortcomings of prior art with inflatable boarding ladders. The ladder mounts at a single point, has no ballast and is free to be blown about by wind and sea. It does not have an articulating, partially submerged, lower section as the present invention and would be extremely difficult to use in rough seas.